Where The Wild Things Grow
by AfireLove1998
Summary: "Why fit in when you were born to stand out?" - Dr. Seuss "You, little lady, are braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." Her eyes sparkled before raising her eyebrow. "Dad, you just quoted Winnie The Pooh."
1. Preface

**WARNING**

This story contains strong language, sexual themes, violence, mentions of drug use, and triggers for depression.

 **DISCLAIMER**

I do NOT own any familiar plotting that belongs to the Twilight Saga. Yes, I'm aware that it's 2018. But honestly, I'm bored and have to get these ideas out of my head. Anyways, I only own Talise, her dad, and her story.

 **ABOUT** **THE** **CHARACTER**

Here's the thing, Talise is biracial. She is Native American and African American. I have had comments in the past regarding interracial love. Not to be rude, but as a "colored" girl, it gets a little draining reading about pale girls with blue eyes and blonde hair. It's really hard to connect with characters you can't relate to. That's why people like me try to provide stories that has some diversity.

Another thing, Talise is plus sized. She is taller than the average height for women, which is 5'5". She is heavier than most girls at her school. Everyone wears a size 2-10, she wears a size 14.

Again, the regular thin main character is so Hollywood. I wish we could be more realistic these days.

Also, I'd like to mention that Paul is **18** in this book. Mainly because I don't feel comfortable writing sex scenes with anyone younger than 17.

 **INTRODUCTION**

Talise Locklear, a girl with charm, brains, and beauty, ended up falling in love with "bad boy" Paul Lahote, after rejecting him for five years.

Junior year went by quick and just before it ended things changed. Paul ditched his girl for Sam Uley and Jared Cameron. His reasons was unknown to Talise, she was sure he was done with her.

But then he sees her, walking on the beach and reading one of her books. Feeling his stare, she locked eyes with him. And that was when he felt his world stop, and it was now all about her...again.

Now knowing his secret and having nothing but honesty in their relationship, the couple was content.

Senior year was happening and Talise didn't expect for it to be so...eventful.


	2. I (One)

"Paul, you better get out of here! Go home!" The unnerved teenaged girl screamed at her boyfriend. Well, ex-boyfriend.

"I can't just do that! I need to explain."

Surprisingly, Paul didn't lose his cool like he's known to do. It was true, before he even phased for the first time, the guy has always been a softie when it came to her.

Her.

The first and only girl he ever loved. The only girl he ever thought was worth his time.

The only girl he chased after for five years straight. He wouldn't give up on her until she agreed to one date, which she did, eventually.

His mind wanted to reminisce the good times, the better times, but right now he needed to figure out how not to lose her.

He didn't want her to shut him out, like she's known to do.

"You don't need to explain anything to me," She yelled. Tears of frustration poured down her cheeks rapidly, she didn't care to wipe them away. She wanted him to see it. She wanted him to see her pain. "You chose Sam over me. You chose to be a little thug than be with me. I didn't know I was that bad to have you run away."

Paul shook his head. He wanted to explain but he couldn't put it in words. He needed to show her.

"So, you can have them," She said, crossing her arms and kicking her feet against the dirt. "You can hang around Sam and Jared. I won't fight with you anymore. You better go before my dad gets home."

"Talise, please." At this point, Paul was begging. The girl paused for a second, she could see the desperation in his eyes, which was something she's never seen from Paul Lahote.

She sighed, taking a small step forward. "You have thirty seconds."

Paul quickly shoved off his pants. Talise's eyes widen, she turned away from him. "Paul, what the hell? We're not having make up sex, not now...you still have some groveling to do."

"Just look at me," He pleaded, "it's not like that. I promise."

Sighing, she turned around. Paul started shaking, his body turning in a tint of red. Talise shook her head. "You look constipated–"

Paul transformed into a beautiful dark silver wolf. He snarled at first, maybe because the transformation hurt a little. Once he was comfortable, he stared at the young lady in front of him.

His girlfriend. His lover.

Talise didn't know what to say. She just watched her boyfriend turn into a huge wolf, a wolf that was five times her size.

The wolf's gaze never left hers, it was as if Paul was asking her to say something, anything.

Not knowing what to say, Talise remained frozen. She couldn't talk. She couldn't think. And now, she felt like she couldn't breathe.

Her eyes rolled to the back of her head before her body fell limp to the ground.

{Where The Wild Things Grow}

She laid there, comfortably in her bed. Her mind was dazed, she couldn't grasp what she just witnessed.

Someone was in her room with her. They took care of her while she was unconscious. She felt the cool washcloth on her forehead and someone holding her hand.

So it was two people in the room. She was fine with that.

She heard her door open and close. Three people.

Curiosity then flooded her mind, she opened her chocolate eyes, taking in the sight of Paul, who was the one holding her hand.

Paul immediately found her eyes on him, he smiled. "Luna," he whispered, "Thank God you're awake."

She didn't say anything, she only gave him a small smile.

"Did you tell her everything, Paul?" a booming voice asked. Talise's grip on Paul's hand got tighter, suddenly alarmed by the deep voice.

Paul took note of this, he soothes her by massaging her hand with his thumb. "It's okay, babe, it's just Sam."

"Your cu- leader?" Talise refrained from saying cult. She had a feeling that it wasn't that simple anymore. Something larger was at play.

"Alpha, the first to phase," Sam told her, he sat beside her bed. "Jared was the second, then Paul."

"Will more phase? All boys?"

Sam gave her a small smile, she was inquisitive. He liked that. She wasn't afraid to ask about what was happening to them, to her boyfriend.

"We don't know. We have eyes on one kid, he's looking like he's next. He goes to La Push High so be on the look out."

Talise smiled, her gaze shifted back to Paul. "I always knew you were a big bad wolf."

"And I always knew you were my Luna, my moon."

"Tell her what we do, what we fight. I'm gonna give Sue her equipment back and tell her she's fine," Sam said, grabbing the nurse bag.

Talise blinked. Sue Clearwater was person number three who was in her room.

The girl sat up, slowly. "How long was I out?"

"A couple of hours. Your dad called, said he's pulling a double."

She rolled her eyes. "That man practically lives in Forks."

"Well, he is a deputy."

She reached over and placed a hand on Paul's heated cheek. Seeing her eyes widen a little, Paul chuckled.

"Wolf temperature, 108 degrees, baby."

"So, I guess now you're really hot." Talise smiled. She leaned over to press her forehead against his. "Why didn't you tell me at first? I thought your were breaking up with me."

Paul shook his head. "No. I was distant, I agree. I just didn't want to hurt you. But when I saw you on the beach the other day, when I looked into your eyes...I knew for sure that you were the one, that you were going to be my forever."

"How could you possibly know that by one look?"

"Babe, you remember when your Uncle Billy use to tell stories to you and your cousins?"

Talise nodded. She was confused though. How did Paul know about that?

"The third wife story use to be your favorite."

"How did you know that?"

Paul grabbed her hands. "Billy told me when he found out I imprinted on you."

"Uncle Billy knows?" She asked incredulously. Paul nodded, grinning. "Wait. Imprinted?"

"It's when you see her, then suddenly nothing else matters. Only her. Gravity isn't holding you down, she is. You'd do anything for her. Love her, help her, protect her. Your heart is now bound to hers, forever."

Paul reached over and wiped the tears that poured from Talise's eyes. "You feel that way about me?"

"Yes."

Before she reached over to kiss him, she paused. "Wait, you said protect me? You're an eight foot wolf, what could you possibly think I'd need protection from?"

Paul could feel his anger boiling just thinking about them.

The leeches.

"The Cold Ones."

Talise gasped, her hand covering her mouth. "Those motherfuckers are real too? Fuck! Well, this is great."

"You don't have to worry about them, ever," Paul reassured her. "I'm going to protect you. The pack will protect you."

Talise was quiet for a moment. Then she thought about something. "Will you be at school this year? Senior year?"

"I haven't decided yet, but no matter what. I'll be at your graduation, cheering you on."

She pressed a soft kiss against his lips. Paul placed a hot hand on her neck, sucking at her bottom lips.

She pulled away, catching her breath. "Make up sex?"

Paul grinned before pulling her close to him. "Hell yeah."


	3. II (Two)

First day of senior year, nothing to worry about. Talise quickly gave herself a quick look over, she was trying to make that cool "young adult" impression work for her.

She wanted the freshmen to worship the ground she walked on.

She didn't want to be that girl but she also wanted to be that girl.

"Senior year, here I come," The young lady whispered to herself.

Before she grabbed her purse and car keys, her bedroom door suddenly opened, it was her dad with his not so normal cheery attitude.

"Happy, happy birthday," He started to sing. His smile was wide and he actually looked happy. "Hope you have a good day!"

"Dad, my birthday isn't until tomorrow."

Mark Locklear groaned, he didn't know how to tell her but he sucked it up anyway. "I thought we celebrate a little today–"

Talise crossed her arms, "Why?"

"A.) Your mother wants you to visit her tomorrow. B.) I work a double shift tomorrow which means I probably won't see you."

The young adult scoffed. "I don't have a problem with B, but I do with A."

Mark sighed. "She's trying to get her life together, give her a break. She can't sleep at night, she keeps thinking about us."

Talise walked past her dad, "She can't sleep at night, Mark, because cocaine is a stimulant."

Mark didn't mean to chuckle but he did. "Don't talk about your mother like that."

"I won't see her. The tears, the guilt, the regret...it's too much. She did too much to this family."

"Mara would want you to forgive her."

Talise glared at her father. "Mara was a six year old little girl, she would have forgiven anybody. I know that because she was my twin...and that bitch of a wife you had, chose to get high instead of watching her."

The memories of that night caused Mark to get a little teary-eyed, he missed having both of his daughters running around the house. Talise was right though, because of Kenna's actions, one little girl didn't get to grow up. "She's still your mother, Tali."

She didn't look at him, she grabbed his coffee and newspaper. "Go, you're gonna be late."

Mark smiled. He kissed her forehead. "So are you."

{Where The Wild Things Grow}

"It sucks that you're a senior now," Kim, the little nerd that literally follows Talise around like a lost puppy, groaned.

It seemed like out of everyone, Talise was the only that really noticed her. Kim often felt like her existence didn't matter to the world, she was always pushed and shoved in the hallway. People never really wanted to start a conversation with her. And also, she had this weird lovesick, obsession with Jared Cameron.

A guy that Talise got the chance to get to know and hangout with during the summer. He was a cheeky little jerk, but he was also really sweet.

"Yeah, but you'll be a senior next year," Talise reminded the girl as she closed her locker. The two then walked down the hall, trying to get to their first class before the bell could ring.

"A whole year without you!"

"You know, this year...we're gonna work on your confidence, like maybe you could actually say hey to Jared."

At the mention of his name, Kim turned red. She subconsciously started twirling her hair. "We have history class together."

Talise raised an eyebrow, she held her books to her chest tighter. "How could you know that? It's the first day of school. You haven't been to all your classes."

Kim paused for a moment. She looked at the taller girl and gave her an innocent smile. "I have my ways."

The older girl shook her head. "You scare me, you know? Just a little."

Kim laughed. "Yet, you stick around."

Talise playfully rolled her eyes. "I don't think you give me too much of a choice."

The girls laughed together before heading to class.

{Where The Wild Things Grow}

Talise moaned as the grip on her bedsheets got tighter, she was in pure bliss.

"Don't stop," she whispered, her fingers combing through her boyfriend's dark locks. "Please, Paul, don't tease."

His tongue flicked against her core, sending her through waves of pleasure. The more her sucked on her clit, the louder her moans got.

He then slipped in a finger, pumping slowly inside of her. Once she rolled her hips to express her excitement, he added another finger.

She tugged his hair, receiving a seductive growl from him. He knew how she liked it. And she knew what turns him on.

"Oh, baby, I need you inside of me."

Paul smiled before giving her wet heat one more kiss before pressing his lips against hers.

She could taste herself against his lips which was the sweetest thing. It made her feel like he was hers, like her scent, her taste somehow marked him.

Her hands found its way to his pants, quickly unbuttoning them. Not wanting to waste another minute.

Paul pulled away from his girlfriend, looking at her bare body sent shivers down his spine. Her curvaceous body, her pudgy belly that he's loved since the beginning, her thick thighs, her round ass, her voluptuous breast...she was mouth watering. He glanced at her dresser, he smirked when he noticed the time.

"Look at the time," he told her, his body hovering over hers.

She looked at laughed. "12:09 a.m."

He leaned in closer to her. "Happy Birthday."

She kissed his lips once more, her tongue massaging his. He slowly made his way inside of her, causing her to gasp at his size.

"Always take you by surprise," he teased, his lips giving her opened kisses on her neck and shoulders. "You've had me plenty of times."

"Each time is like the first, but it gets better and better," she managed to say as her arms wrapped his neck tighter with each hard thrust he gave her. "I love you."

Paul pulled away and continued to thrust hard, faster to purposely send her over the edge. "I love you," He said watching her become undone.

As she loudly moaned out his name, he kissed her again. "Happy Birthday, baby."

{Where The Wild Things Grow}

The next month went by smoothly, she studied hard and passed pretty much every test and quiz.

It was rumored that she might actually be top of their class and finish out as Valedictorian.

"Scores are being rounded up, you're in the lead as top student for your class!" Kim said excitedly, her arms looping through Talise's own arm. "This is absolutely amazing. I inspire to be like you."

"Oh yeah? Ask Jared out," Talise teased. Kim gave her a playful glare.

"I can't do that. He'll say no. Especially if he sees my English notebook."

Talise raised her eyebrow at the familiar pink journal. The older girl nearly laughed out loud, "You've had that book for nearly three years! You still write about him in that?"

"Yeah, all of our memories–"

"All of your memories," Talise corrected.

Kim shrugged. "I've heard it both ways. Anyways, for example, one time Jared asked someone if it was raining...he didn't know because slept the whole class...I said yes! And he was like 'great'. Isn't that cute?"

"You're so obsessive that it's scary but somehow it wraps right back around to being cute."

Kim smiled at her friend, showing her colorful braces. "Have you worked on your valedictorian speech?"

Talise chuckled. "It's only been a month into senior year, we don't know for sure that I'll be valedictorian, Chelsea Mu is my top concern, she's like a .1 point behind me. A couple of more high test grades and we're toe to toe."

"Should we sabotage her?" Kim asked with a determined expression on her face. The older girl laughed.

"You sound like a cheesy 80's movie. No, we're gonna do this fair and square." Just then, the first bell went off. Talise looked at Kim and grinned. "Get to class underclassmen."

Just like any other day, school went great. Class was a breeze, lunch was spent with Kim yapping in her ear and her cousin Jacob giving her a wet willy as he passed by with his friends Quil and Embry.

But as soon as she parked her car in her driveway, she immediately knew something was off. Something was wrong.

She froze in the driver's seat, like she didn't want to get up and face whatever reality that waited for her.

Sighing to herself, she got out of her car. She then noticed the mailbox was full. She shook her head.

Grabbing the mail from the mailbox, Talise then made her way into the house. She found her dad sitting at the dining table with some coffee in his hand and a very grave expression marked on his face.

"Dad, what's wrong?"

He looked at her, revealing his eyes that was glossed with tears. "Your mother...she overdosed."


	4. III (Three)

Hearing the news about her mother had Talise stuck in the middle. The only person who really loved Kenna was Mark, his daughter had no feelings towards her whatsoever.

Talise decided a long time ago that she didn't have a mother. Even after Mara's death, which the judge ruled as accidental, Kenna still neglected the only child she had left for some quick fix.

Watching someone who was supposed to be her protector, someone who was supposed to nurture their child choose a supplement of a guaranteed high never set right with Talise.

The mere thought made her skin hot, it made her angry.

She took a seat in front of her father. She noticed that it seemed like her dad could use some comfort, but she wouldn't want to console him for someone like Kenna.

It was silent between them.

"Is she dead?" Talise asked carefully, not wanting to seem too eager to find out the answer.

Mark shook his head. "She's in a coma. Don't know if or when she'll wake up."

"And if she wakes up?"

The father looked his daughter in her chocolate eyes, the same eyes that share the color of his own. "They'll put her in another year program to help her with her addiction."

Talise rolled her eyes. "Yeah, another program you'd have to pay for. Dad, why don't you accept the truth? She doesn't want help."

"She's dealing with demons, baby. Things that you could never understand. She lost her little girl–"

Anger zipped through Talise's body, she slammed her hand on the dining table. "And I lost my twin sister! You think it was traumatizing for her?! I was the one who found my sister in the tub...floating in that water..."

Seeing that the memories triggered a sense of reliving, Mark reached for his daughter's hand, she pulled away from him.

"And even when you told her you were gonna call the cops, she didn't worry about Mara...she was trying to find the rest of her coke. Yeah, Ms. Kenna Locklear...mother of the year."

Before Mark could say anything, she walked off, not wanting to hear the excuses he would come up with for his ex-wife.

{Where The Wild Things Grow}

"It's like he doesn't get it," Talise whisper. Paul stayed quiet, allowing for her to vent. He rubbed her shoulders, even placing open kisses on her skin from time to time. "She doesn't love him anymore, she hasn't loved him for a long time."

"He'll come around. It's just taking him a while, you know?"

Talise turned around, her body facing Paul. He gave her a small smile before kissing her full lips.

"What would I do without you?" She asked him, playing in his short dark hair.

Paul kissed her palm. "I don't know. And I don't care to find out."

As they laid there comfortably, a howl from outside can be heard. Talise chuckled. "That's your cue?"

Paul groaned, placing his head in the crook of her neck. "Patrol tonight."

"Just you?"

Paul nodded. "On one side of the Rez. I rather stay here with my beautiful girlfriend and her gorgeous body."

"Let's do something this weekend. Don't you ever get tired of us being homebodies?"

Paul got up from her bed to open up her bedroom window. "We could have dinner at Emily's, she misses you. Or we could go to the beach with the guys, cliff dive."

"I'd watch from afar."

Paul grinned before leaving her bedroom from the window. Talise shook her head, she got up to close her window. She sighed.

"My dad isn't home, he could have taken the front door."

{Where The Wild Things Grow}

After an uneventful day at school, Talise was ready to go home. She was sad that she wouldn't be able to hangout with Paul because of the duties Sam had given him.

But she didn't stress. She knew that the pack needed to protect the people of the Rez.

She groaned as her head hit her bed. This weekend was going to be so boring. Her dad was supposed to take her shopping but he'd rather spend more time at work. Talise was okay with that, she figured he just wanted to make more money but that didn't make sense because he was on a salary.

Not thinking about it anymore, Talise cuddled her pillow, slowly drifting off.

There was a timid knock at her bedroom door, when she rolled over in her bed to face the door, she frowned. "What?"

Her dad popped his head in her room after he opened the door. Talise smiled a little. "Dad? When did you get home?"

"An hour or so ago, I noticed you were sleeping. But I was gonna tell you that I'm heading back out."

Talise raised an eyebrow. He just got home, she was confused as to why he was leaving again. "Where are you going?"

Mark sighed. He came into the room and crossed his arms. "Charlie asked me to come by his house. His daughter is missing."

The young adult got up from her bed, concern taking over her body. "Bella? What happened?" Talise didn't really know Bella. She knew that they were total opposites.

When they were younger, their dad's hoped they would become the best of friends but that wasn't the case. In reality, Talise was never Bella's cup of tea, vice versa.

Even with the differences, that didn't stop Talise from worrying. No one should ever be alone somewhere or uncomfortable.

"We don't know. Right now, no one has seen her in hours," Mark shook his head, "You know, if it was you that was missing...I'd be having someone's head."

Talise smirked. "I know. Listen, how 'bout I go with you? Moral support?"

Mark gave his daughter a proud grin. "Yeah, come on. We can take my bat mobile."

Talise quickly grabbed her keys. "If we're going, we're taking my car or your truck but I'll be damned if I ride in that cop car."

{Where The Wild Things Grow}

Mark quickly got out of the car. He didn't waste time walking over to his buddy Charlie.

Talise looked around a little, she noticed half of the town gathered around to look for Bella. She also noticed that everyone was tired and ready to go home.

She got out of the car, turning it off, and walked over to Charlie Swan, Bella's father.

"Mr. Swan," she greeted him sadly, engulfing him in a warm hug. "Are you alright?"

"Talise, you've grown. Looking like a young adult now," Charlie complimented with a weak smile. "Bella's been gone for seven hours. I'm losing it."

Talise comforted him by placing a hand on his arm. "We'll find her. Don't worry."

Charlie, with a very worried expression, pored over a map with Mark Locklear, Billy Black and Quileute Harry Clearwater.

Talise saw that most of the map was X'd out, meaning those areas where already searched. She strolled over to stand beside her cousin, Jacob Black. The young teen seem anxious, maybe even on the verge of a breakdown.

"Hey," Talise said to the teen softly, "she's gonna be okay. I know it." Jacob wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her into him so she could comfort him.

She was aware of his crush on the missing team, but she also knew about their friendship. Jacob considered Bella a great friend and he wouldn't want anything to happen to her.

"I'll call the Cullens again. Her note said she and Edward went for a walk," Charlie said, mostly to the three male adults around the map. He pulled out his phone to dial the number once again.

"They left town, Charlie," Billy told his friend.

"Hospital said Doc Cullen got a big job somewhere else," Harry commented. Mark raised his eyebrow.

"That's fast. How can someone with a large family like that just pack up and leave?"

Harry shook his head and placed a reassuring hand on the worried father's shoulder. "We'll find her." Charlie was glad for the comfort from his three friends.

Jacob was still holding on to his older cousin, not wanting to let go until Bella was found. And when he looked up, he saw a figure coming from the woods that looked like he was holding something. The young teen practically shoved his cousin to the side, causing her to tumble over a little.

"Damn, Jacob," Talise mumbled, regaining her balance. "Big healthy ass."

"Charlie!" Jacob shouted to get the sheriff's attention.

Talise squinted her eyes to see who it was, her expression changed when she saw that it was Sam Uley. He had dark cropped hair, and a fierce expression.

"It's Sam," Talise announced to the men, pointing at the man walking towards them. "He found her. He found Bella."

Charlie bolted over to collect his daughter from the town's "hero" of the night. The thankful father happily thanked Sam, his worries dying down just a tad.

Talise smiled to herself. She always loved a happy ending. When she turned to get in her car to leave, she noticed Sam staring at her cousin. Jacob, of course, started to get uncomfortable so he looked away.

The young adult took a mental note to ask Sam about that later.


	5. IV (Four)

October flew by so quickly, Talise almost felt like she wouldn't be able to keep up. But, of course, she did.

Talise won homecoming queen, which was no surprise to any of the other nominees.

She also won President of her class, even though she never put herself up for vote. The students just wrote her name down even when she didn't have a campaign.

It was now mid November, the mid-term final grades were getting posted tonight and it made the young adult very nervous. She couldn't think, eat, or sleep. All she wanted was to know if she remained in lead for top GPA.

She liked to say that silly things like becoming valedictorian didn't matter to her, well it didn't, but it mattered to her dad and all she wanted was to make him proud.

After dinner, Talise cleaned up the kitchen and kissed her father goodnight.

As she sat in her bed, all the girl could think about was that unknown grade in her AP chemistry class. She knew that Mrs. Kowa was a tough teacher to impress. She knew she got all her formulas right, but she didn't know how the teacher felt about the written out speech on two elements of choice.

She groaned as her pillow hit the back of her head. "The suspense is killing me."

Just then, her nerves got the best of her, there was a flutter in her tummy and it made her fly to the bathroom.

She emptied out all of the contents from her dinner. The tears poured from her face, she wiped her eyes. "Ew," she mumbled, scooting her body to the bathroom wall. "All I want is a A plus, I'll even take an A minus."

And she indeed, in fact, received an A plus for her final grade in AP chemistry, which was known to be the hardest class in La Push High to pass.

With another victory won, Talise went to bed, content with how her life was going.

{Where The Wild Things Grow}

Splash.

Eeeck.

The young woman held her head over the toilet yet again. It was starting to become a ritual, along with the headaches, and back pain.

Not to mention the weight gain. Talise was never one to worry about her weight, she knew she was beautiful and she had a loving boyfriend who would remind her as well. But her weight, in her opinion, was getting out of control.

Her boobs were getting bigger. No longer a perfect C cup, it was now hanging out with the double D's...not that Paul was complaining.

But Talise had to prove to her dad that she did NOT have any boob jobs done.

She knew things were getting bad when her father started noticing a change.

Once she got up from the toilet, Talise continued with her morning schedule by applying all of her face cream. Then she realized she was out of the stage two cream of "Zit Relief", she didn't freak out. She knew she had a spare bottle in the cabinet at the bottom of the sink. When she reached for it, she noticed all of her pads and tampons boxes have been untouched.

Talise's chocolate eyes grew wide, she backed away from the bathroom and went right back into her room.

She pulled out her period log. Yes, the teenaged girl has always been organized. When she noticed her period haven't been marked for the past three months, she cried. She cried. And she cried.

She walked up to her full body mirror, she frowned. Now seeing herself through new eyes, with some information she only just realized, she looked pregnant. Her pudgy tummy wasn't so averagely "pudgy" anymore, it was definitely a baby bump.

It wasn't big enough for others to point at her and say "preggers" but it was big enough for her.

For a second, she thought about her life and how it was going to change.

How her life was going to change.

How her dad's life was going to change.

How Paul's life was going to change.

Her eyes widen once more. Paul. She didn't know how he was going to feel. They were only 18 with no money, no house to take care of the baby, no jobs.

Feeling like she already failed her unborn child, Talise cried.

Suddenly her alarm for school went off. Talise sighed. Final grades have already been posted, but if she wanted to keep this baby...she needed to apply to graduate next month and start college courses.

Talise didn't want to get ahead of herself, she had to make sure that there was really a baby.

So, she decided to ditch school and head to the Forks clinic.

{Where The Wild Things Grow} 

"Headaches, back pain, and excessive weight gain," The female nurse read off her chart, "Your blood pressure is normal. Says here you're 18...and from the Rez. Not married. Wow, haven't seen a pregnant teen from the Rez since the 90's."

Talise ignored her side comments. "Wait, so I am pregnant?"

The nurse shook her head. "The results aren't in yet but me being a woman who have had three kids...I can tell. Your hair is shiny, you skin is glowing, your nose looks like it's spreading a little."

Subconsciously, Talise touched her nose. The way the woman stared at her made her feel uneasy. She didn't like to feel judged. She hated it.

"You're a beautiful dark skin girl, why did you do this to yourself?"

Talise scoffed. "I didn't get myself pregnant. And quite frankly, it's none of your business."

The nurse stood up from her seat, ready to leave the chart for the doctor. She turned to the teen with a sigh lingering from her pink lips. "If you want my advice, don't go through with this...just continue to be young. This baby will be the end of your life."

Already protective of her child, Talise placed a hand over her belly and glared at the older white lady.

Talise waited for what felt like forever, then a doctor finally came into the room.

He was a younger doctor, he had kind eyes, and tan skin. His brown hair was slick behind his ears. He also had a charming smile.

"Ms. Locklear, I'm Dr. Opie, that's Maxwell Opie, if you were wondering," he said with a small smile. Talise noticed he seemed a bit nervous, like he's never done this before.

"First patient outside of practice?" Talise asked, her hand still on her tummy. "You seem nervous."

"That was impressive. Guess you want to be a detective one of these days, huh?"

The young woman shook her head, her eyes gazing at the posters on the wall. "No, wanted to do something medical...now, I don't know."

His green eyes held her gaze for a moment as he grabbed her new chart with the results. He smiled a little. "You are pregnant."

Talise sighed, she didn't know if it was out of relief or disappointment.

The doctor noticed her reaction, he grabbed her hand in his. "Listen, this isn't the end...it's the beginning. My mother had me at 15, she was a single mom but she still managed school...college. She went to law school even though had a seven year old at home waiting for her everyday. She became a lawyer. She always told me that I was her inspiration."

He paused for a moment. "This baby is a blessing, not a curse. You should be grateful."

"I am," Talise said with a sad smile. "I'm just scared."

Dr. Opie's grip on her hands got tighter for a second, he squeezed her hand to comfort her. "How about we check on the baby? See where we're at as far as development."

Talise smiled. Some part of her was excited to see her baby on that small screen, she wanted to see how big the baby was.

The baby.

Her baby.

She didn't think those words would come out of her mouth for at least another ten years. But the spirits had other plans, and she was gonna go with it.

{Where The Wild Things Grow} 

She laid on the exam bed, she shifted herself a little, trying to get comfortable.

But it wasn't comfortable, the bed was cold and the pillow wasn't fluffy enough for her back.

Just then, Dr. Opie came back in the room. He had some equipment with him. He gave her a reassuring smile.

"Okay, this gel is gonna go on the bottom of your stomach so we can see your uterus, but I'm going to spread it around if the baby is bigger than I think."

He then squeezed nearly the whole bottle of gel on ultrasound wand. "It's a little cold," he told her as he pressed the wand on her tummy.

Talise sucked in a breath. The gel was indeed cold. Before she could have another thought, she heard the most beautiful sound in the world.

She heard a strong thumping sound. It was the baby's heartbeat.

Her baby.

"Wow, you're a lot further along than I thought."

Fear took over her body. "Is something wrong with my baby?"

Opie smiled. He shook his head. "No, this baby is healthy. From the looks of it, you're nearly twenty weeks pregnant, which means you got pregnant during the summer."

Talise groaned. She knew the time or she could at least guess. It was maybe that weekend when her and Paul got back together, that night he told her about his wolf life.

"You're reminiscing," Dr. Opie teased. "He's been your boyfriend a while, huh?"

"Since we were sixteen," Talise said happily. She wasn't sure about a lot of things in her life, but she was sure about Paul.

"How long have you been sexually active?"

"Since I was sixteen, never had a pregnancy scare or anything."

Dr. Opie crossed his arms. "So this was literally a slip up, yeah?"

Talise watched the screen that had her baby as the star. "Yeah, we slipped up." She chuckled. "My goodness, I can already tell the kid looks like him."

"Would you like to know the sex?"

"You-you can tell?" A sudden bolt of excitement ran through her body. But she knew knowing without Paul felt wrong so she shook her head. "No, I don't want to...could you write it down? Put it in an envelope?"

Opie smiled and wrote it on a piece of paper, along with a small note. He scooted over to his desk and placed it in a small, white envelope and labeled it as "gender".

"Here you go," He said as he gave her the picture. He also snapped some pictures of the baby, printing them out for her. "Alright, you're healthy. The baby is healthy. The next appointment you book need to be at the Forks hospital with their OB/GYN, I'll call so they can keep me updated because I won't see you until after the baby is born."

Talise frowned. "Ah, but I got so attached to you."

Opie laughed. "You'll be fine. I'm not sure but I think they still have Dr. Cullen there, I heard he's amazing."

She shook her head. "The Cullen clan moved like two months ago."

"Ah, poo, but that's okay. Forks Hospital will take care of you."

Talise hopped off the exam bed, 'I hope so', she thought.


	6. V (Five)

Talise sat in her car, she knew her dad was home because of the cop car parked in the driveway. She frowned. There was no way she could hide her pregnancy from her dad, she's under his insurance. He'll get the bill from today.

Grabbing her purse, she made her way into the house.

When she walked in, she could hear her dad in the kitchen cleaning up some dishes.

"I was gonna wash them, dad."

Mark jumped at her voice, clearly not aware that she made it home.

"Tali, you scared me, geez." He laughed. He dried off his hands and turned to her. "Where have you been all day?"

Talise leaned on the doorway. "Out."

Mark smirked. "Well obviously."

She gave her dad a small smile before placing her things down with a sigh. She walked over to the dining table. "Daddy, we have to talk."

Make haven't heard her say "daddy" in so long so he knew it was serious but he was in such a playful mood. "What? You're not pregnant, are you?" He laughed. Talise froze.

When he noticed his daughter's firm expression, he softened up a bit. "Tali? Princess?"

It was like she couldn't respond, instead she cried. And that was enough of an answer for Mark. He walked over to her and engulfed her in a warm hug. "Oh, Talise." He ran his hair through her dark hair, that happened to be straight that day.

"I'm so sorry, daddy," Talise sobbed, wrapping her arms around his neck so tight.

"Don't be. It's okay, baby. We're gonna get through this." He pulled away from her and brushed a few strands of hair out of her face. "Are you keeping it?"

Talise smiled. "Yeah. I mean, I'm too far along to not go through with it."

"How far along are you?"

"Nearly five months, twenty weeks."

Mark eyes widen. He was definitely not prepared for that answer. "And you just found out yourself?"

Talise shrugged. "I've been so busy with school that I didn't really pay attention to my body."

He nodded. He didn't know how to feel. He was confused, shock, a little hurt...but he wasn't mad. Technically, she's an adult, a young adult but an adult. He'd prefer her to be 18 and pregnant, not 16. He thought about something for a moment. "Does Paul know? Is it his?"

Talise shook her head. "He doesn't know yet. And yes, it's his."

Mark ran his fingers through his hair. "Wow, me...a grandad. I'm young."

Talise raised an eyebrow. "You're not that young, dad. You're only two years younger than Uncle Billy, and he's like forty-eight."

Mark then flexed his muscles. "You every seen guns like that on an old man."

The young lady laughed. "Yeah, I'm looking at him." Mark looked offended, he then started making jokes about how the unborn baby will think she's old one day.

{Where The Wild Things Grow} 

Paul has been looking to spend time with his girlfriend for the past week. Sam had him double on patrol because of that red-headed leech keep coming back to La Push and Forks.

The wolf boy couldn't wait to hold his girl, kiss her, connect with her.

He's been working really hard on his anger, just for her. Ever since they started dating two years ago, she's made him a better person step by step.

He stood in front of Emily's house, pacing back and forth, waiting for her to get there. Emily and Sam always have the pack come over for dinner, it was their way of bonding and expanding the brotherhood love.

The shifter smiled when he saw his girlfriend pull up in her car. She looked gorgeous. She gave him a grin when she got out of the car. He ran to hug her. His smile got brighter when he smelt her hair.

Peaches and oranges.

Paul pulled away a little to give her a kiss. His lips being pressed against hers was the best feeling.

They broke apart when they heard Jared whistle. "Hey, lovebirds, Emily said the food is ready."

Smirking, Paul grabbed her hand, "Come on, beautiful."

They all sat at the table. Sam and Emily, Jared, and Paul with his beautiful imprint, Talise.

"You're glowing, Talise, what kind of cream do you use?" Emily asked. She was so kind-hearted. Talise smirked to herself, no cream was making her skin pop.

"I use "Zit Relief", it's pretty good."

"Clearly," Emily complimented.

Jared and Paul reach for more spaghetti. Sam stopped the both of them with a growl.

"Be gentlemen, ask the ladies if they want more."

Jared looked at Emily, she shook her head. Paul turned to his imprint. "You want more, babe?"

Talise placed a hand on her tummy and smiled. "No, we're good."

Of course, Paul didn't catch on but everyone else did. Talise made eye contact with Emily, her eyes were wide. The young Quileute woman glanced at her tummy then back at the teen, silently asking her if she was pregnant. Talise nodded. Emily covered her mouth, her eyes watering from happiness.

"Paul," Talise reached over and placed a hand on his thigh, getting his attention. "Can we talk outside for a moment?"

Paul grabbed her hand and led her out. She sat on the porch with Paul sitting beside her.

She sighed, her eyes tracing the stars. Paul wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Paul, babe, there's something I need to tell you."

"Okay, I'm listening."

She grabbed his hand from her shoulder and firmly pressed it against her blooming belly. "I'm pregnant."

Paul froze for a moment. The longer they sat there, the more he thought about it. The weight gain he would never mention out loud, the sudden need for foods she didn't like, the higher sex drive. And before he could move his hand, he felt a flutter against his fingers. In that second, he fell in love all over again.

He didn't say anything, which worried the pregnant teen for a moment. But when she saw Paul lean into her tummy, she teared up. He pressed two small kisses against her bump. She even noticed a tear drop from his dark eyes.

"I love you, and our baby. I'm not going anywhere," Paul told her, his head pressed against hers. She kissed him. He deepened the kiss after feeling all of the love and passion she put into it.

He pulled away with a grin. "Come on, let's tell the pack!"

Paul literally dragged her back inside the house. Sam nearly freaked out seeing how she almost tumbled over, but Talise reassured him that she was fine.

"Hey, we're having a pup!"

They all cheered. Emily couldn't help but wrap her small arms around the teen's neck, vowing to be with her every step of the way.

"How many months do we have until the baby is here?" Emily asked excitedly. Sam watched his imprintee with so much love, he knew how invested she was with the pregnancy. After all, Emily loved kids.

"Uh, four. I'm five months pregnant and I only found out last week."

"Can I?" Emily asked with her hands close to the baby belly. Talise laughed as she nodded. Mark told her that people were gonna ask her to touch the bump, she didn't believe him.

Emily stretched her hand on the barrier between her and the unborn child. When Emily expressed the love she had for the baby, that's when Sam knew.

The elders once mentioned a story about the pack and the first pup, how much love and loyalty they'd have for the baby at first mention of him or her.

Sam knew that the baby growing inside of Paul's imprint, was the baby that every wolf will love and want to see grow.

{Where The Wild Things Grow} 

December went by and Talise graduated from school. With her impressive GPA, the Forks community college accepted her, so she'll start her spring courses in mid January.

During Christmas, it was no surprise that baby Lahote got more gifts than his or her parents.

Emily even hosted a whole party dedicated to the baby, which was said to be Talise's first baby shower.

The biggest gift was from Harry and Sue Clearwater. They were letting Paul and Talise rent out a cabin they've been trying to sell. Emily loved that gift because it was only a ten minute walk from her house.

There were so much love for the new baby and it warmed the parents to be hearts.

Everyone was anxious to know wether Talise was having a boy or girl. So as a Christmas gift, Talise gave the envelope to Sam and Emily, two people that have become her best friends.

It was decided that at the second baby shower, the gender will be revealed.

Talise was currently at home, Mark's house. She was going through all of her things, trying to decide what to bring into her new place she had ready with Paul.

As she folded some clothes, her cellphone started buzzing. Not knowing the number, she still answered.

"Hello?" She answered hesitantly.

A familiar timid voice was on the other end. "Hey, Talise. It's Bella."

"Oh, hey, Bella. You, uh, you okay?" Talise asked the girl in a soft voice. She had to remember her dad told her something about Charlie saying Bella's been depressed for the past three months.

"Um, yeah, I'm okay," Bella lied. She was quiet for a second before speaking again. "You wanna hangout with me and a friend? We're going shopping in Port Angeles."

Knowing that she was looking for more things for her and the baby, she couldn't deny a chance to not be by herself while she shopped for those things. So, she agreed.

"Yeah, I'd like that. When?"

"Tomorrow."

"Okay, I'm driving my car. Do I need to pick you up?"

Bella shook her head, even though Talise couldn't see her through the phone. "No, I'm driving my truck."

Talise sat on her bed. "Okay, see you tomorrow." Once she hung up the phone, the mom to be laid comfortable on her bed, in no time, fell sleep.


	7. VI (Six)

The pregnant teen was currently moving some boxes into her new home. Sam gave Paul a whole day off from patrol duties to help his girlfriend settle into the cabin.

Paul moved most of the furniture but Sam told him that Jared will come by later to help, so he saved the heaviest things for him.

The shapeshifter watched his girlfriend unpack some of the clothes they got for their baby.

The nursery was straight across from the parents-to-be room, making it easier to get to the baby if crisis called for it.

"Shouldn't you be helping me unload some kitchen things? I thought we were saving the nursery for last?"

Talise turned around to the sound of Paul's voice. She gave him a wide smile.

Paul, for a second, admired her beauty. Her smile could light up the entire Forks town and expose the Cullens for the monsters they truly were.

'Wow, that got dark quick,' Paul thought, regarding to his last thought about the Cullens.

"Well, once I saw that the box was marked 'baby' I couldn't help but start unpacking for him."

Paul grinned. "Her."

Talise rolled her eyes. "I will stand by my argument. I think it's a boy."

"And I'm sure it's a girl," Paul said before walking over to wrap his arms around her waist. He kissed her neck, pulling her closer to him.

Before she could moan, she groaned. "This is how we got into this situation, you horn dog."

Paul laughed. "I can't help it. You're so hot."

Talise turned around so her body could be pressed against his. "If anything, you're the hot one, Mr. Wolfy."

Paul let go of her body before walking to one of the boxes near the closet. It was the box that had the pieces for the crib. The shapeshifter tapped on the box with a frown. "Every dads worst nightmare...building the crib."

Talise laughed. Only because for a second Paul legitimately sounded worried. "And who told you that?"

"Your dad and uncle," Paul told her.

She couldn't help but laugh again. "I'm sure they were teasing you. Building the crib shouldn't be that hard, just read the directions."

Before he could think about it, he raised an eyebrow at his girlfriend. "You're not helping me with this tonight?"

Talise shook her head. "No, I have other plans."

"Job interview?"

"That's next week, baby, and it's in the morning." Her boyfriend nodded, but the topic of what she was getting into still lingered in the air. She sighed. "I'm going to Port Angeles, to shop."

"Shop? What do you have to get there that you can't get here?"

"Calm down, boy," Talise joked. "I was invited to go out."

"Kim?"

She shook her head. "No, Bella."

Paul paused for a moment. Talise took note of the disgusted look he had on his face at the mention of the Swan girl.

"Paul?"

"I don't want you hanging out with her." His tone made her squint her eyes. He sounded so firm, and so serious.

She scoffed. "You don't make decisions for me. Besides, the girl has been going through a lot. She needs a friend."

"You don't even like her."

Talise shrugged. "So?" She thought about it for a moment. "How come you don't like her? I highly doubt you even know her."

Paul then became nonchalant. "I have my reasons." The room was quiet. "I'm gonna go pick up some pizza."

Before she could say another word to him, he left. She sighed in frustration, but then she smiled. It was their first disagreement in their new home.

{Where The Wild Things Grow} 

After watching the zombie-horror flick, the girls decided to just walk and see if there was anything else they could do before calling it a night.

Talise stood in the middle of both girls. They were both pale which made her sepia skin look darker than what it was. Bella was taller than her friend Jessica. But the shorter girl was more outgoing and talkative.

Talise rolled her eyes. Man, Jessica talked a little too much for the La Push girl's liking.

"I don't get why there are so many zombie movies," Bella said as she shook her head. She noticed that Talise held her baby bump. "I'm sorry if the movie made you uncomfortable. I know you're probably sensitive now that you're–"

"It's okay. I didn't mind the movie. Being so far along in my pregnancy, I know that my baby can hear my surroundings...and I don't want to expose him to violence."

"Him?" Jessica asked. "It's a boy?"

Talise shrugged. "I don't know. I just think it's a boy. My boyfriend thinks the baby is a girl." She paused for a moment. "Anyways, back to the reason why there are so many zombie flicks."

"It's, like, a metaphor? For crass consumerism or something." Jessica spoke up. Bella and Talise glanced at her. Bella seemed intrigued while Talise wondered if the girl thinks before she speaks. "Not that you'd know anything about consuming. You didn't buy anything today." That comment was aimed towards Bella, because Talise bought tons of things, enough to fill up her backseat.

The pregnant teen snorted. It was true, Bella didn't really buy much of anything.

"I bought something," Bella defended herself.

"Socks don't count. 'Course, I was surprised you even called."

Bella looked away from the girls. "I've been kind of out of it."

Talise didn't want to be apart of the conversation. Mainly because she didn't know how Bella was acting, she only knew what her dad told her...which wasn't much.

"Kind of? I mean, at first I was worried. Then I'm like, okay, she's still bumming? It's not like I wasn't going through things, too. Like Mike deciding he wanted to "just be friends?" That was really hard and..."

Talise sighed a little. It was like Jessica didn't know when to shut up. No wonder why Bella didn't really want to hang out with her.

"How 'bout a ride, girls?" A man, sitting outside a bar, asked the three teens.

Talise scoffed at them along with Jessica. Both girls already decided that those dudes were creeps.

When Talise glanced at Bella, it really seemed like she was interested based on her facial expression.

Bella was in a trance. Talise called her name three times before Jessica stood in front of the brooding girl.

"Come on, let's go," Jessica urged. It was clear she was starting to get a little freaked out.

"I know them...I think..."

Talise raised an eyebrow. "No the fuck you don't. Can we go? I wanted to get some tacos."

As Bella was leaving, walking towards the creepy guys, Talise pulled her arm back, but Bella shrugged her off.

There was one biker guy that eyed Talise, a look of lust and admiration clear in his eyes.

"Let me take you home, baby," he said, revving his motorcycle up, trying to impress her.

"Don't let this baby bump fool your ass. I'm the wrong girl to fuck with! I'll cut your ass. Don't play with me." She yelled at him from across the street. She watched as Bella hopped on the motor bike with some stranger. Talise sucked her teeth before looking at Jessica.

"Let's leave."

Jessica eyes widen. "We can't just leave Bella."

Talise folded her arms. "She left us."

Jessica stood there for a moment. She brushed her brown hair behind her ears. "Should we really leave?"

Talise sighed. She started to walk off but then Bella came back with a pondering look on her face.

After the stunt Bella pulled, Talise didn't care about what the Swan girl was going through. All she knew was that she was pissed. "What the fuck was that Bella?"

"I...saw something," Bella said, almost to herself.

"I don't give a damn," Talise said firmly. She scolded the teenager like she was her child. Talise Locklear was in mommy mode and there was no stopping it. "You don't just leave your friends on the street to go do some dumb shit. Seriously, Bella."

Jessica joined in on the scolding. "You are insane or suicidal."

"The more dangerous...the more real it was," Bella mumbled. It was clear the Talise that she wasn't really listening to them.

"So, what, you're like an adrenaline junky now? Go hang-gliding or bungie-jumping. Don't be a complete freak." Jessica said, still going off on her "friend".

Not wanting to be around the girl anymore, Talise left. She walked to her car without saying another word to the girls.

{Where The Wild Things Grow} 

A very tired Talise sighed as she unlocked her front door. Once she was in her home, she noticed that everything was starting to come together.

She smiled when she saw that the couch and Tv was in place, along with the coffee table and framed pictures. The carpet was vacuumed and placed neatly on the floor. It was obvious that Emily came by, because there was no way Jared and Paul got all of this done in one night.

"Paul?" Talise called out as she placed some shopping bags on the couch. "Babe, are you home?"

"Yeah, back here," Paul answered.

Talise walked down the hallway and turned towards the nursery. Tears welled up in her eyes when she looked at the baby's room. There were boxes that still needed to be unpacked but the room looked like it was really coming together for the most part.

Paul proudly stood in front of the fixed up crib. His smile faded when he noticed Talise was close to tears. "Babe, are you okay?" He cooed at her, wiping her tears away. "You need something? Ice Cream? A burger? Both?"

Talise chuckled at him. She was so proud as to how far he's come. She known him since he was a boy, and now she has the pleasure to see him become a man. "I'm just happy."

He placed his forehead against hers. "I love you." He got on his knees and held her blooming belly in his large hands. "And daddy loves you too." He placed a kiss on her tummy.

When he stood back up, he led Talise to the bedroom to help her get ready for bed.

"How was your night with Bella?" Even though he tried to ask nicely, Talise still noticed how his tone turned bitter at the mention of Bella's name.

Talise rolled her eyes, thinking about her evening. "She's on some wild child white girl shit. That's not my speed."

Paul chuckled as he placed a kiss against her full lips. "You should get some sleep. We have an appointment to go to tomorrow."

"Yeah, that's right. Baby doctor," she said tiredly, closing her eyes. Paul kisses her forehead before tucking her in.

"Goodnight, my Luna."


End file.
